Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.
Today: Top 10 ultimate glamping retreats in the world
Camping is the ultimate way to get back to nature. It makes for great storytelling around the camp fire, beautiful adventures in the majestic outdoors, and bonding with family and friends. However, many travelers are put off by the lack of facilities and suboptimal sleeping comfort while camping. But there is an alternative these days: glamorous camping or ‘glamping’. Glamping offers the thrill of a camping adventure in the wilderness, but without compromising on comfort and with all five-star luxury amenities present. Here is my selection of the 10 most luxurious glamping retreats in the world that you should put on your bucket list.
There is more info (with YouTube videos & reviews) below the slide show. Think I missed a glamping site? Leave a comment, or take my poll below!
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10. WILD COAST TENTED LODGE, SRI LANKA
Resplendent Ceylon’s latest creation in Sri Lanka is Wild Coast Tented Lodge, adjacent to the world-famous Yala National Park, renowned for its dense leopard population. This luxury tented camp is situated in a stunning location where the jungle meets the pristine shoreline, overlooking the blue waters of the Indian Ocean. The lodge’s 28 tented accommodations blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape thanks to the use of carefully selected natural materials. A clever layout in the shape of a leopard’s paw print alludes to the area’s most famous resident. The open-air bamboo-clad dining pavilion – designed to mirror the boulders scattered across the golden beach beyond – wraps around the resort’s lovely free-form swimming pool.
9. AMAN-I-KHAS, INDIA
Open from October through May each year, the best season for wildlife spotting, Aman-i-Khás is a wilderness glamping camp located in a rugged brushwood forest on the fringes of Ranthambore National Park. Combining the Sanskrit word for ‘peace’ with the Hindi word for ‘special’, Aman-i-Khás offers accommodation in 10 luxury air-conditioned tents each with soaring canopies draped in the Moghul style. There are also three separate tents for dining, spa treatments and relaxing. Twice-daily, guided wildlife viewing excursions take guests into the park to spot indigenous game including tigers, leopards, hyenas, sloth bears, crocodiles and chital deer.
- Hotel website: Aman-i-Khas
- Other accolades: Aman-i-Khas also features in my top 10 list of India’s best luxury hotels.
- Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and a 60 minute massage per room per stay).
- Review: read my review of Aman-i-Khas here.
8. NAYARA TENTED CAMP, COSTA RICA
Located in central Costa Rica, Nayara Tented Camp is one of the first luxury camps in Central America inspired by the luxury canvas lodges of Africa and Asia. The property’s luxurious and spacious tents are built at a higher altitude on a hillside to provide unobstructed views of the famous Arenal Volcano. Multigenerational travelers and like-minded groups can opt for a set of two connecting identical tents while couples and privacy-seeking guests can book standalone units. All tents come with a private plunge pool and the indoor/outdoor design blends contemporary, barefoot-luxe touches and unique-to-location design. Guests staying at Nayara Tented Camp have full access to all the facilities of its sister resorts, family friendly Nayara Gardens and adults only Nayara Springs.
- Official website: Nayara Tented Camp
- Other accolades: Nayara Tented Camp also features in my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels in Costa Rica.
- Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out and $100 USD resort credit).
- Review: read my review of Nayara Tented Camp here.
7. AL MAHA DESERT RESORT, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Al Maha, A Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, is nestled in a verdant palm oasis, deep within Dubai’s magical dune and desert landscape. Al Maha showcases the heritage and architecture of the Bedouins and also offers a sense of desert adventure. The suites, reminiscent of Bedouin tents, blend gently into the desert and offer unsurpassed luxury. Beautifully furnished with a unique collection of authentic Arabian artifacts and antiquities, all suites boast private pools and offer spectacular views of the Dubai Desert Reserve and its wildlife (gazelles & Arabian oryx).
6. CLAYOQUOT WILDERNESS RESORT, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, open from May to September, is an exotic paradox of indulgent luxury and remote, untamed wilderness within Canada’s Pacific Rim National Park. This unique 21st-century-safari-style glamping enclave of great white canvas suite tents, dining, lounge, and spa tents, offers exquisite cuisine and breathtaking adventures, giving visitors a rare taste of how the fortunate spent their summers ‘roughing it’ some 100 years ago. Twenty suite tents showcase antique furnishings, opulent rugs, down duvets, remote-controlled propane powered woodstoves and luxurious amenities. Watch out for black bears and whales though!
5. FOUR SEASONS TENTED CAMP GOLDEN TRIANGLE, THAILAND
A natural paradise surrounded by majestic mountains, Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle is set in an exquisite bamboo jungle close to some of Thailand’s oldest civilizations. Here, guests can ride an elephant, take a nature stroll, and discover the customs of northern Thailand’s most colorful hilltribes. Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle contains just 15 tents, where guests can stretch out in 54 sq m (581 sq ft) of living space appointed with leather-and-hardwood bush chairs, paddle fans and a hardwood desk, or soothe your muscles in a custom-made wooden hot tub on the outdoor deck.
4. ZANNIER HOTELS SONOP, NAMIBIA
The opulence and finesse of Zannier Hotels Sonop, set in Namibia’s southwest corner, immediately recalls the 1920’s era of British explorers. Constructed on top of granite boulders, the tented camp enjoys a remote and unspoilt setting in 13,800 acres (5,600 hectares) of untouched wilderness. The lodge captures the restorative essence of the desert landscape with a spectacular open-air infinity pool, spa, fitness center and daily yoga. Guided excursions include horse-riding from our own stables, private dining atop of the sand dunes, electric fat-bike or walking trails, and private sunset safaris. The magic continues after dark with a nightly gala-style dinner, open-air cinema and stargazing under the endless African skies.
3. SHINTA MANI WILD, CAMBODIA
Created by famous resort designer Bill Bensley, Shinta Mani Wild is an ultra-luxe glamping retreat in Cambodia, combining world class hospitality with sustainability and conservation. The property is located in an unprotected wildlife corridor connecting the Bokor National Park with Kirirom National Park, and aims to protect this 350 hectares river valley from poaching, mining and logging. Fifteen custom designed tents are perched over swift moving waters and waterfalls, providing a view and experience unlike any other resort in Asia. Each tent is meticulously designed to invoke the feeling of what it would have been like to be on a luxury safari in the jungles of Cambodia with Jacky O.
2. MOMBO AND LITTLE MOMBO CAMP, BOTSWANA
Mombo Camp, situated in the northern point of wildlife-filled Chief’s Island in the Okavango Delta, is one of Africa’s finest safari lodges. Built under large, shady trees overlooking a floodplain generally filled with life, the camp’s nine spacious wood and canvas suites are raised 2 m (6.5 ft) from the ground, with a long veranda, a sala and indoor & outdoor showers. Mombo Camp’s main living, bar and dining areas are under thatch, while the boma adds traditional flavor to a delicious dinner under the stars. There are two plunge pools in which to soak and a gym to work off the excellent food. Little Mombo, situated on Chief’s Island, is a smaller and more intimate camp to its sister and has its own dining and lounge area and a sparkling pool.
1. CAMP SARIKA BY AMANGIRI, UTAH, USA
Camp Sarika by Amangiri is a serene and timeless glamping retreat in the Utah desert, set against a backdrop of vermillion rock formations and boundless blue skies. Deriving its name from the Sanskrit word for “open space” and “sky,” the camp enables a back-to-nature wilderness experience in consummate comfort, revealing Utah’s otherworldly landscapes and intriguing aspects of Native American culture at every turn. Overlooking striking flat-topped mesas, the camp comprises ten tented pavilions each with its own spacious outdoor deck and private plunge pool. These are intuitively placed to provide the utmost seclusion and unimpeded views, while still allowing easy access to the camp’s main pavilion with its two spa suites, restaurant, sun deck, swimming pool and jacuzzi.
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